


vintage t-shirt

by violetchachkii



Series: Luke and Alex's Weird and Extraordinary Love Story [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Past Fic, Second-Hand Embarrassment, could be read as friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:56:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26817721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetchachkii/pseuds/violetchachkii
Summary: Luke’s mind was overcome with the coincidence. The album. The shirt. It was all meant to be. Alex was meant to have this shirt.Or, Luke finds the perfect shirt for Alex.
Relationships: Alex/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Luke and Alex's Weird and Extraordinary Love Story [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954618
Comments: 4
Kudos: 146





	vintage t-shirt

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2! This is another fic that could be read as either a romantic relationship or friendship. 
> 
> Thank you to [wesawbears](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesawbears) again for her fantastic editing.
> 
> Feedback and kudos are appreciated.

Alex fit into Sunset Curve better than Luke could have ever imagined. Not that he was particularly worried. Reggie was one of the most welcoming people Luke knew and Bobby knew they were desperate for a drummer. Plus, Alex was cool. Luke liked him and that was good enough for the other two.

They all started hanging out together almost instantly. It was like Alex had been a part of their group for years. They liked the same things – the same music especially. That was what mattered most to Luke. He found he could talk to Alex for hours about this band or that. He didn’t seem to get bored in the same way Reggie did. Alex looked just as enthralled on the tenth replay of an album as the first.

“I really like this one,” Alex said from where he laid on Luke’s bed.

After their time working on their history project, it became common for Alex to come over and hang in Luke’s bedroom. Sometimes they played music, sometimes they sat and talked. That day, Luke was showing Alex the dusty old album he had found in the garage. He figured it belonged to his father and was forgotten in storage when he and his mom moved into their house. It was only by chance that Luke spotted it during his Saturday chores.

“ _Diamond Dogs_ , David Bowie. 1974,” Luke said, pulling up on the tonearm and picking the album up delicately with his fingers. He flipped it back to side A and put it back down. The voice at the beginning started and Luke smiled.

“It’s cool,” Alex mused, eyes closed as he focused on the sound. He bobbed his head as the second track began to play. Luke couldn’t keep his smile from spreading as he joined Alex on the bed. Only when his weight came down did Alex reopen his eyes.

“It was my dad’s. I think he was like…sixteen when it came out.”

Alex turned his head. “I thought your dad didn’t like rock music.”

Luke sighed and rolled onto his back. They laid beside one another, heads inches apart. Luke turned his head back, facing Alex. There was concern in his eyes. Alex knew by this point how much Luke disliked the topic of his parents. He had resolved that they would just never agree on anything.

“I don’t think he dislikes it,” Luke began, eyes holding on Alex’s compassionate gaze. “I just…I think he doesn’t like his _son_ being in a rock band.”

Alex tilted his head. “Why?”

“He wants me to do something ‘stable.’ He and mom think I need a fall back.”

For a few moments, they were both quiet. David Bowie’s voice and the sound of guitar filled their silence. Alex’s face looked like he was deep in contemplation. It was like he was taking and considering every one of Luke’s words. Luke had never felt listened to so deeply.

“Maybe that isn’t a bad idea…”

Luke couldn’t keep himself from jumping up. The springs cried out as he leapt to his feet on the mattress. He stared down at Alex from up high, socked feet moving to balance on the old bed. Alex rolled to his back so he could meet Luke’s eyes.

“How could you say that?” Luke asked, anger and hurt in his voice.

Alex sat up. “I don’t think having something to go back to is a bad idea…”

“But we don’t need that! Sunset Curve is going to make it. We are going to sell out clubs and stadiums and have a dozen platinum albums. I know it. Don’t you believe in us?”

Alex sighed and offered his hand to Luke. Luke looked at it for a moment, not sure whether to grab it or push it aside. He was so mad at Alex for saying what he had. Did he really not believe in their music? Alex was still new to the band, but he made them electric. With Alex as their final member, Luke could really see them going all the way. Having their drummer not feel the same way hurt.

Still, against what his heart was screaming at him, Luke took Alex’s hand. Alex pulled him back down. Luke fell to his knees on the bed, huffing out a deep breath as he did so. He waited for an answer to come from his new friend. He felt deep in his bones that whatever Alex said would make or break their friendship.

“Of course, I believe in us,” Alex said, looking at their joined hands. “I’m still new to all of this. I started playing drums to calm me down. I never thought I would be in a band like this.”

“Not just a band. Sunset Curve,” Luke pointed out.

Alex laughed. “You’re right.”

Another moment of quiet filled the air. The album continued to play in the background. Luke noticed in the quiet that their hands were still joined. He looked at where they were intertwined. Like everything else, Alex’s hands were larger than Luke’s. They were also softer. Where Luke had callouses from years of playing the guitar, Alex’s hands were still somehow smooth. Such soft skin felt nice against Luke’s own.

“Do you trust me, Alex?”

“Of course.”

**♫♫♫**

“Why do you think they call it a corndog? I mean, there’s no actual corn in it…”

Luke raised his eyebrow at Reggie’s question. They were walking down the pier, one of Luke’s favorite past times. You could always hear people playing music and selling some really cool art. There were also plenty of pop-up thrift tents with awesome finds. It was a nice place to get his mind off of all the drama, especially with his family.

“I don’t know, Reg…” Luke said, eyes catching on a woman selling watercolor portraits. She smiled and waved as they passed. Reggie shrugged and took another bite of his corndog.

They continued to walk, the sound of acoustic guitars and pickle-tub drums following them. The drumming reminded Luke of Alex. He had invited their newest member to join them for their day out, but he had declined. Family stuff, he told them. Luke tried not to be disappointed. It would be good for him to spend time with just Reggie. They hadn’t hung out with just the two of them in too long. Still, part of Luke felt like something was missing.

He didn’t have long to miss his new friend before they came across their favorite stand. It was a tent of thrifted shirts. There were racks filled with old concert and band tees long forgotten by their owners who were too mature to remember the good old days. At a quarter a piece, it wasn’t rare for Luke and Reggie to leave with armfuls by the end of their haul. Reggie took the final bite of his corndog and they hurried over to the racks.

Like always, Luke came across shirt after shirt that he wanted. _Led Zeppelin 1977. The Rolling Stones 1972._ Luke’s pile grew as he found more and more he knew he needed. Reggie was more conservative, but not by much. The tent owner looked at them with fondness. She knew they were one of her best customers.

Luke thumbed through the third rack when he stopped. A faded brown shirt with an orange circle stopped him. _Bowie Tour IV Diamond Dogs_ , it read. Luke nearly dropped all of the shirt in his pile in his hurry to remove the shirt from the rack. He felt it over. The fabric was worn, but still wearable. The softness that a shirt took on only after dozens of washes enveloped it. It reminded him of the soft touch of familiar hands.

“I have to get this for Alex!” Luke exclaimed. Reggie looked up from his own rack, brows knit in confusion. Luke barely had time to register it. He was too busy fishing into his pocket and pulling out a handful of quarters. Probably too many for the number of shirts he had. He didn’t care. He dropped them on the owner’s table.

“Luke?” Reggie called out as Luke started back down the pier. Luke heard the jingle of Reggie grabbing his own coins and spilling them out on the table. He followed suit and chased down his friend, shirts spilling out of his arms. “Come on, man! Slow down!”

**♫♫♫**

Reggie eventually did catch up with him. Luke knew, despite Reggie’s initial irritation, that all would be forgiven. By the time they got to Reggie’s house, he could barely remember why he was angry at Luke. They parted ways, Luke still in a hurry.

Luke’s mind was overcome with the coincidence. The album. The shirt. It was all meant to be. Alex was meant to have this shirt. Luke hopped back on his bike after dropping Reggie off. He rode towards Alex’s house. He had only been by once, but he knew the ride. It wasn’t too far.

The lights in the dining room were on when Luke arrived. Extra cars were parked in the driveway. It almost looked like there was some sort of party happening. A boring party. Alex would definitely be happy to be granted some reprieve from whatever was happening inside. Luke was sure of it.

He stepped closer to the window. The curtains were half-drawn, giving Luke enough of a view inside. As expected, about twelve people sat at a large dining table. Everyone was dressed up, sweaters and dresses all around. A large meal was spread out across the table. The last time Luke had seen a meal that big was when his mom’s cousin Arnie had come with his four kids for Thanksgiving. He couldn’t think of any holidays going on. Maybe Alex’s family was just weird.

As Luke got closer, he felt his foot tug on something. He didn’t have enough time to register that there was a branch there before he was plummeting towards the window. He didn’t hit it hard enough to break. Just a small _thunk_.

Or maybe a bigger _thunk_ than he thought if the faces of the dinner guests inside were anything to go off of. The man at the head of the table, a man who held a striking resemblance to Alex, startled and then turned his head. Beside him sat Alex, black suit on and red in the face. Luke felt his heart sink. He had embarrassed Alex in front of all these people. Words were exchanged between Alex and the man and then Alex was standing. He disappeared from the room.

Luke tiptoed out of the bushes, still clutching the shirt to his chest. As he stepped back, he heard a hushed voice.

“What are you doing here?!” Alex said. His face was still red, but he also looked to be breathing heavier than normal. Was this Alex angry?

“I…I got you a shirt,” was all Luke could think to say.

“A shirt?” Alex asked as if he had misheard him.

“Yeah. I, uh, me and Reggie were down on the pier and I saw this shirt…and I thought you might like it.”

“This couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

“I…” Luke looked back at the house. “What’s with the weird dinner? I need to know.”

Alex cleared his throat, his discomfort with the topic evident. He crossed his arms over his chest, still looking red in the face. Luke could no longer tell if he was angry, or just embarrassed. Was he embarrassed that Luke saw this? Or was he embarrassed of Luke? Maybe it was both.

“It’s our after-church dinner. My parents host it every week.”

Luke furrowed his brow. “Wait? You’re, like, religious?”

“No…I mean, kinda?” Alex answered. “My family is.”

Luke nodded and looked down at the brown fabric in his hand. He cleared his throat and unraveled the t-shirt. He held it up to his chest to give Alex a good look.

“Then you might want to keep this from them.”

Alex chuckled in disbelief. “Whoa! How did you find this?”

“I know a guy…or I guess, girl.”

“That’s so rad.”

They both laughed and smiled. Alex’s face was finally returning to a normal color. He reached his hands out for the shirt and Luke released it. Alex felt the fabric between his fingers, bringing it up to his nose for a small sniff. The smile grew on his lips and he looked back at Luke.

“Thank you. This is really cool,” he said, taking another look at the shirt.

“Of course, man,” Luke replied.

Another silence lingered between them as Alex looked over his gift. Luke’s chest tightened familiarly. It had been doing that since he met Alex. Seeing his friend look at a gift from him with such reverence made Luke’s heart ache. He realized that all he had cared about in that moment was if Alex liked the shirt. If he didn’t, Luke wasn’t sure what he’d do.

“I should get back inside,” Alex said after a few moments. Luke looked back at the house and then at Alex once again.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?”

Alex nodded and wrapped both arms around the shirt. “See you tomorrow.”

They shared another smile and then Alex turned back to the house. Luke picked his bike up from where he’d left it on the front lawn. He looked back up just in time to see Alex turn to look back. Luke smiled at the sight.

“Hey Luke?”

“Yeah?”

There was a pause. Alex hugged the shirt tighter to his chest. He held it like a child’s new favorite teddy bear on their birthday. The tightness in Luke’s chest was back.

“Knock next time?”

Luke laughed.


End file.
